pregnancy

A University of Wyoming researcher has received one-point-five million dollars from the National Institutes of Health to study obesity in pregnant women.

The N-I-H says 30 percent of women are overweight or obese when they conceive and remain so throughout pregnancy. The belief is this impacts their children and grandchildren. U-W Researcher Steven Ford runs the U-W Center for the Study of Fetal Programming. He says this could have long term health ramifications.

A study by the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit shows that elk are not especially stressed out by the presence of wolves.

Pregnancy rates among migratory elk herds near Yellowstone have declined, and one theory was that wolves were harassing the elk – causing them to run and hide, and depriving them of grazing opportunities.

Arthur Middleton, the lead author on the report, says elk did move around somewhat to get away from wolves, but only when the wolves were within one kilometer away. And he says wolves only rarely came that close.